Apr. 1, 2004 - The Houston Rockets have signed assistant coach Patrick Ewing to a 10-day contract, general manager Carroll Dawson announced today.
Ewing joined Jeff Van Gundy's coaching staff this season, but is best known for his 17-year playing career. The Rockets' current injury problems, most notably to Kelvin Cato, have the 41-year old center back in action.

Ewing, an 11-time All-Star who was chosen as one of the 50 best players in league history, spent 15 years with the New York Knicks, averaging 22.8 points and 10.4 rebounds. He was traded to Seattle before the 2000 season and then signed as a free agent with Orlando in 2001.

The 7-footer resumes his NBA career having scored 24,815 points and grabbed 11,606 rebounds.

The No. 1 pick in the first NBA lottery draft in 1985, the 7-foot Ewing came out of Georgetown to become the Knicks' all-time leading scorer with 23,665 points. Ewing helped Georgetown reach the NCAA championship game three times, winning the national title in 1984.

In 1994, Ewing was the centerpiece of the Pat Riley-coached New York team that lost in the NBA Finals in seven games to the Rockets after taking a 3-2 lead in the series. Ewing was injured in 1999 when the team lost in the finals in five games to the San Antonio Spurs.

story link........ (http://216.157.138.26/nba/rockets/news/Rockets_Sign_Ewing_to_Ten_Day_-104711-34.htm)

MavKikiNYC

04-01-2004, 10:55 AM

I was half expecting this. Wonder if he can give as much as 10 mpg?

Would be mildly ironic if he somehow lasted until the season finale, and then hit a game winner to help the Rox knock of the Mavs, in what would hopefully be Nellie's last game as coach of the team. As Nellie tried prematurely to put Ewing out to pasture in NY, maybe PE will get a chance to return the favor.

ddh33

04-01-2004, 11:16 AM

I'm surprised this took so long. I actually thought he might come back last year to help Mike...

MikeB

04-01-2004, 11:23 AM

Nice April Fools joke there NYC.i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif

A friend of mine at a Rockets forum (ClutchFans.net) dropped this to me this morning........He knew it would succeed with me as I am a big Knicks fan. Sure enough, it did as I nearly hit the roof when I saw the news.......I checked ESPN for more info, nothing there. SI.com, nothing there. Sporting News, nothing there. Flipped on the radio to WFAN here in NYC, nothing mentioned.

I knew something was up. Then I saw the link and remembered what today was. What a fool am I.......

I must say that prank was well done though........right down to the link to the story on the Rockets site.

So I decided to take it and spread the April Fool's Day cheer and merriment.........

Have a good one guys........and be aware of those pranks.......

ddh33

04-01-2004, 12:21 PM

i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif i/expressions/face-icon-small-blush.gif You got me. I even thought this might be a prank, but I just looked at the link and it was from the Rockets home page. I bought it hook, line, and sinker.

Well done.

MikeB

04-01-2004, 12:26 PM

ddh

Look at the link again...it says ROOKETS

MavsFanatik33

04-01-2004, 03:37 PM

WOW, aren't they in a playoff run? Have fun in the draft lottery Houston!

Usually Lurkin

04-01-2004, 03:59 PM

I think I'd like the Rockets more if they did play Ewing, along with Manute Bol, Tonya Harding, and Donald Trump in their starting lineup.
Maybe Yao would get the ball more. I imagine any of them would be less selfish than Franchise.

NYCdog

04-01-2004, 04:22 PM

WOW, aren't they in a playoff run? Have fun in the draft lottery Houston!

Wha..........I have no idea what message you are trying to convey here. Barring a miraclulous collapse for the ages, Houston is in the playoffs like you previously stated, not the draft lottery.

Put down the crack pipe and step away please.........

But I must say, those chaps at Clutchfans.net have gone way far with this........one of the best pranks I've seen in years. First the report form Rockets.com (or really Rookets.com) And now they've even put up an image claiming to be from a press conference held in Staples Center (site of tonight's game) announcing Ewing's returnat the header page of the site.

If this wasnt April Fool's Day or I was Drunk.........I would have believed old-man Ewing was suiting up for tonight's game against Shaq and the Lakers............

Check out the full report of Ewing's return here,,,,,,,, (http://www.clutchfans.net/index.cfm)

Also even though there your rivals and all............I have to give props to SpursReport.com for turning their site into LakersReport.com and confusing everyone over there. I remember that Clutchfans pulled this same bit when they briefly became the official fan forum of the Spurs for April Fool's day two years ago..........absolutely hilarous stuff.

All these April Fool's pranks got me wondering.........will the admins here at Dallas-Mavs.com ever pull one of these April Fool's pranks here on us and maybe change the site to say....... "Sacto-Kings.com" OR "LA-Lakers.com" come this time next year???

Or how about a fake report of Rolando Blackman and Roy Tarpley attempting a comeback with the Mavs...........the possibilities for pranks are endless. But they sure are alot of fun.........